Soil, footings and cracking in Manor Lakes VIC

Manor Lakes sits on the volcanic plains west of Melbourne, where the soil is generally a reactive clay that swells when wet and shrinks when dry. The site class for any lot comes from its own soil report and sets the slab design, so we never assume one for the suburb. What owners control is water: downpipes connected, ground falling away, and gardens and paving kept off the slab edge.

The suburb lies on the basalt plains of Melbourne's west.

Clays here are generally reactive, so moisture changes move the ground.

Each lot's AS 2870 site class comes from its own soil test.

Uneven wetting at the slab edge is the usual cause of cracking.

Keep downpipes connected and ground graded away from the walls.

More about Manor Lakes

Written by our local inspection team from work carried out in Manor Lakes. Licensed building practitioners, Building & Plumbing Commission registration CDB-U 53425.

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Soil, footings and cracking in Manor Lakes VIC: common questions

What site class is Manor Lakes?

It varies by lot. Your soil report and slab engineering state it, and we read those rather than assume a suburb-wide class.

Why do houses on clay crack?

When one side of a house gets wetter or drier than the rest, the clay moves unevenly and the slab and walls follow.

Is some cracking normal?

Fine cracking in plaster often is. Wider cracks, cracks that reopen and doors that start sticking are worth investigating.

What can I do as an owner?

Fix leaking downpipes and taps, keep paving and garden beds below the slab edge and avoid large trees close to the house.